Wizarding Ranma: Origins
by Mnemorath
Summary: Ranma and Nabiki's first adventure as wizards. Prequal to Wizarding Ranma.
1. Ranma

**Disclaimer: **Everything herein is owned not by me but their respective creators

Ranma looked upon his father in disgust. Genma Saotome was once again engaged in an act that had occurred time and time again over the years. A few weeks ago, Genma had arrived at the temple requesting training for his son in exchange for something or other. What was traded, Ranma did not know. All he knew was apparently his father had decided it was time to leave. Never failed, whenever Genma decided to move on, the first thing he did was raid the library for scrolls or training manuals.

Just as Ranma was about to confront his father, a small book was tossed from Genma's hand. The aim was straight and true, Ranma caught it with his head. The impact was sufficiently hard enough to knock him senseless for a few moments. Sitting up from the resulting prone position, Ranma looked at the book.

"The Art of Wizardry." Ranma read.

Flipping through the book, assuming it was a book of martial arts techniques, Ranma skimmed looking for a new technique. In short order he came to a passage that looked promising. In a separate area, preceded by warnings (which were ignored), lay the Oath.

'In Life's name, and for Life's sake, I say I will use the Art for nothing but the service of that Life. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way; and I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these ends, in practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so—till Universe's end.' (1)

"This must be it." Having the impression that the Oath should be read aloud, Ranma did so. He had just finished when a voice from behind startled him. Turning, Ranma beheld the senior monk of the temple. This monk had taught Ranma much and was well liked by the boy.

"I would never have expected the Powers to choose you." The elder monk said. "But in hindsight it comes as no surprise."

"Powers?" Ranma asked, genuinely confused.

"The Powers That Be. You would call Them Kami." The monk replied with a slight chuckle. "Let me explain what you have just gotten yourself into." With that, the monk led Ranma away from the library, leaving Genma undisturbed and none the wiser.

The next morning Ranma and his father left the temple. The elder monk had spent several hours the previous night explaining to Ranma his new responsibilities and teaching him a few things. The monk had been pleasantly surprised at how fast Ranma learned. He had also admonished the boy to never let his father know what he now was, also to keep his manual hidden and secret from his father. Thus one of the things that the monk taught Ranma was how to make a retrievable pocket. A little fold in space-time that Ranma could use to store the things he did not want his father to have. The pockets current contents were Ranma's manual and some spell components given to him by the monks. Every night once his father was asleep, and anytime he thought it was safe to do so, Ranma studied his manual and learned.

So continued the training trip for several weeks.

A couple weeks out from the temple, something occurred that gave Ranma pause. He and his father were in the midst of cooking lunch when Ranma felt every green and growing thing nearby shudder violently. He had begun to notice about a week ago that he had an affinity with growing things and nature. He talked to the trees and bushes as well as other plants. This allowed him to forage far better then his father as the plants helped him. But, it was their obvious distress that got his attention this time. What ever was wrong had also got his father's attention.

"What the hell?" Both Saotome's asked simultaneously.

"What's the matter?" Ranma whispered to a nearby tree in Speech.

(The Lifegiver is gone! The Witherer has come!)

'_The Witherer? That's one of the Lone Power's names.'_ Ranma thought.

Suddenly the sun went out. One minute it was noon and bright and clear, the next it was pitch black with only starlight to let them see. In that instant Ranma realized what the tree had meant. The Lone Power had extinguished the sun. Though he had no idea how a non-wizard would view this unfortunate event, he used his fathers stark terror and shock as a good guide. But what could he do? He had no idea if he could turn the sun back on. Even if he could, he would have to be at the sun to do it and that meant teleporting in front of his father.

As Ranma pondered the ramifications of current events a new development drew his attention. A searingly bright light had appeared in the sky. It could not be more then half way between the earth and the moon as a second or two after it appeared the moon flickered on searingly bright as well. It was all Ranma could do but watch.

As the new star began to fade, Ranma felt the trees and plants seem to sigh in relief. A quick conversation verified his suspicion. The sun had quietly come back on. Though its light would not reach the planet for several minutes yet, the plants still knew.

When the sun shown bright in the sky once more, Genma quickly forgot about the whole incident. Ranma however, would always remember and feel pride in that his fellow wizards had somewhere, somehow saved them all once again. (2)

A couple of months after leaving the temple, Genma suddenly announced one morning that that they were going into the city for supplies. To Ranma this meant that his father was going to lie, cheat and steal any supplies Genma thought they needed as any money he might have earned would most assuredly be spent on sake. Ranma frowned at that thought. While there was nothing he could do to prevent his father from stealing, he could refuse to participate himself. In addition some of the spells he had learned made it difficult for Genma to beat him senseless as a punishment for disobedience. Genma of course thought that the reason he could not hit Ranma sometimes was that the boy was getting better. This both filled him with pride about his teaching methods and worry that soon he may run out of things to teach.

With nothing better to do then sit around the campsite while Genma was gone, Ranma grew restless. He could only train or study so much every day without getting bored or repetitive. So after a few hours Ranma decided to go exploring. Thus Ranma left the campsite and began to wonder around.

Upon reaching a shopping district, Ranma's first stop was a small bookstore for some writing utensils and note books. These items, once paid for, went into the retrievable pocket. All the money Ranma had was from various senseis, passersby, and friendly people he had done odd jobs for. Keeping it in his pocket kept his father from getting it, no matter how hard Genma looked. Granted it was not much, only a few thousand yen, but it was sufficient for his needs. The occasional pit fight also supplemented his income.

Ranma's second stop was a snack stand to get something to eat. He had just finished it off when a commotion from a nearby alley caught his attention. A local gang of toughs was accosting a young girl. The girl appeared to be about Ranma's age if slightly older and sported a pageboy haircut. She wore a serviceable blouse and a pair of slacks. Overall a very versatile and yet simplistic at the same time. On the ground next to her was a small traveling pack. Ranma's quick eyes noticed something else instantly as well. When ever one of the gang members attempted to grab her, two things happened. One, she slid out of the way and two, the gang member seemed to slide off the air around her. Ranma recognized both martial arts training and a shield spell when he saw it. One thing nagged at the back of his mind however, the style she used seemed familiar.

In any case, Ranma decided he should help a fellow wizard out. Perhaps after he beat on the bullies she could help him with his magic studies. He knew that with any type of training, it was best to have a partner to compete against and learn with and from. So deciding, Ranma strode towards the alley.

"It ain't right to harass a girl. Besides, it don't look like she wants any part of whatever it is you want."

Authors Notes:

1. Can you not see a person like Ranma taking the Oath thinking that Art meant martial arts and not magic? Plus it holds to many of the tenants that he holds dear.

2. I know this bit seems a little out of sync. That's because I am trying to tie it in to the first book of the young Wizard series. This is another person's view of the events of the final chapters. I know Ranma seems to know a lot more then he should. He actually does not know anything more then what is written in his manual and what the plants tell him. He is making a massive assumption about the other wizards. All he knows is that the Lone Power had put out the sun. For it to come back on He had to have been defeated. It is a wizard's job to fight Him. Thus is Ranma's train of thought.

This is but one half of the first chapter to Ranma and Nabiki's first adventure as wizards. The next chapter will focus on Nabiki and how she got her manual. Then together they are off on their Ordeal. I am continuing to work on my other stories as well and hope to have some ready for publish ASAP.


	2. Nabiki

Nabiki crept through the storage area of the Tendo Dojo. There were two things she knew with absolute certainty. One was that she was not supposed to be here. The other was that some of her mother's things were stored here. Nabiki did not know exactly what she wanted; just that she wanted something that had belonged to her mother. After all, Kasumi had her mother's cookbooks, and Akane had some old training manuals. Nabiki, however, had nothing and was feeling left out and lonely.

Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Turning to get a better look, Nabiki's breath caught. It was her mother old knickknack chest. The chest appeared to be constructed from a single piece of cedar. No seam showed, not even where the lid met the rest of the box. There were no hinges on the outside but Nabiki had seen her mother open it once or twice. The chest was about three feet long and about a foot wide and deep. The top inch or so of the front side had a strange design etched into the wood. It almost appeared that someone had wrote something in a strange flowing, Arabic like script. Nabiki gingerly moved over to the chest.

Griping the front edges of the top carefully, Nabiki failed to notice the strange script seem to glow briefly before changing slightly. Responding to Nabiki's gentle, almost reverential pressure, the chest's lid opened, revealing what it held. Nabiki stared, openmouthed, her mind reeling. She was looking at what her mind told her was impossible. The inside of the chest was deeper then the outside. It had a great deal more interior volume then the outside dimensions would indicate. Within the chest was an assortment of notebooks, books, knickknacks, odds & ends, and a small pack. On the very top of the pile was a sealed scroll with "Read Me First" written upon it. Picking up the scroll, Nabiki gently broke the seal and unrolled it. Tears began to fall softly and silently as she recognized her mother's handwriting.

_Dear Daughter, _

_ If you are reading this, then I am dead. Since I have failed to return from my last run in with the Lone Power, I have no more need for what this chest contains. As you were able to open it, I fear you will have need of them, thus the chest and all it contains is now yours. _

_ I am sure you curious as to what I am talking about. The truth is I have kept a secret from you and your sisters. I was a wizard. It was my duty to fight against the creator of death and entropy, The Lone Power. To that end I used magic to slow the death of the universe, to heal, to help, and if need be to combat Him directly. It was during one of these interventions that I fell. I can only hope my death was not meaningless, that some good came from it. Your father never approved of my duty, so he would try to explain away my death somehow. I have no doubt that he will never tell you the truth. _

_ This chest is enchanted so that only one of my line can open it. Further you will only have been able to do so if the spark of Wizardry has been awakened within you. The Powers That Be are offering you a chance to follow in my footsteps and become a wizard. The top book is my manual; having spelled it to return upon my death, within is instructions and information on magic. The Oath lies within as well. Take it only if you are absolutely sure that you understand the risks and exactly what you are undertaking. Magic will not live in an unwilling heart. _

_ Do me proud daughter, see you in Timeheart. _

_ Kimiko Tendo. _

Searching thru the chest, Nabiki quickly found what she sought. It was a slim volume. For a moment Nabiki thought that it was too thin, that it could no hold all the secrets to magic. She quickly realized that it could be another one of those 'bigger then it looks' deals. Nabiki read thru the beginning of the manual. She read about what type of person made a good wizard, about the benefits and dangers of magic. She read everything.

When she came to the Oath, Nabiki momentarily baulked. She nearly quit right then. She almost closed the manual, placed it in the chest and walked away without looking back. Another time, another place, she might have done just that. Not this time, not this place. Nabiki read the Oath aloud. Despite the feeling that 'This Way Lies Dragons', Nabiki took the Oath of Wizardry. She vowed to follow in her mother's footsteps, to fight The Lone Power. With the Oath taken, Nabiki knew she had taken her first steps on the road to adventure.

With the chest safely hidden under her bed, Nabiki delved into her studies. The manual was indeed more then it appeared. A vast amount of information was at Nabiki's fingertips. No matter how many pages she turned, there was always another waiting. It took nearly an hour for Nabiki to find what she was looking for. As she read, tears once again silently fell.

The manual contained within its pages complete, detailed accounts of all wizards past assignments. It was the account of her mother's final assignment that caused Nabiki's tears to fall. Kimiko Tendo had willingly sacrificed her life to stop the Lone Power. She had written in the letter that she hoped her death was not meaningless. It was not. With Kimiko's sacrifice, The Lone Power's plans were thwarted. Once again It was sealed away, guarded by a group of monks at a remote temple. The monks had delivered Kimiko's body to her husband, who then tried to explain away her death to their daughters. Due to the damage her body had sustained in battle, Kimiko's death could not have been caused by illness. Soun blamed it on a drunk driver and hid all evidence of her wizardry. He would have burned it but he could not bear to part with anything she owned.

Now that she knew the truth, Nabiki was of course furious with her father. She knew that he would never approve of her new profession and would probably forbid her from doing it. Thus she promised herself that she would keep it secret and hidden from her family for as long as she could. This meant that she had to practice outside of her home. For in that house (for the most part) secrets were not kept for long. It never took long for either herself or Kasumi to figure it out. Once Kasumi knew, it would no be long before their father knew as well. Or so Nabiki thought. All her assumptions were about to be thrown out the window.

"Your going to be a wizard Nabiki? How wonderful, mother would be so proud!" Came a familiar voice from behind, startling Nabiki.

"What? How? Kasumi?" The shock had completely derailed Nabiki's thought processes, causing Kasumi to laugh.

In order to quiet Nabiki, Kasumi quietly began to explain. She had been visiting Auntie Saotome when the sun had gone out. Mrs. Saotome had been strangely calm. Instead pf panicing as Nabiki remembered her and her friends nearly had, the regal woman had simply gone and gotten a strange book to thumb through. In response to Kasumi's inquiries, Nodoka had explained about wizards and the history of the Tendo matriarch. The conversation lasted till well after the sun had come back on, both loosing track of time while visiting the past. Kasumi was also warned that her father never approved of his wife's vocation and would be furious that she knew the truth. Thus Kasumi promised to keep it a secret.

A quick check of the local listing of wizards revealed Saotome Nodoka's name. The listing below it for one Saotome Ranma intrigued Kasumi and she vowed to ask Auntie Saotome about it. Especially since he was listed as 'On Ordeal, No Calls'. Neither knew that Nabiki's listing would change to read the same that very afternoon.

Kasumi quickly promised to keep Nabiki's secret and helped her pack up the small pack from the chest. Kasumi recommended that Nabiki go to the forest where they had picnicked when their mother was still alive to train and prepare for her Ordeal. Both knew that there was a chance that Nabiki would not return and wanted to give her the best chance of succeeding. Thus with Kasumi's assurance that she would cover for her absence, Nabiki made her way to the shopping district. She had not been there long and had yet to find what she sought when a gang of boys began to follow her.

"Hey girlie, wanna have some fun?" One of the perverts asked, causing Nabiki to pick up her pace. The boys picked up theirs as well and quickly cornered her in an alley. Quickly muttering the shield spell she had learned that very morning, Nabiki dropped her pack and stood her ground. Though she had not actively been a practitioner of Anything Goes for some time, Nabiki still practiced the Art for self defense purposes. Therefore combined with the shield spell she was able to prevent any of the boys from laying a hand upon her. She kept it up for several minutes, then a voice cut through the air from the entrance to the alley. Quickly glancing at the source, Nabiki was presented with a boy slightly younger then herself. Unruly black hair was tied in a ponytail and the most piercing icy blue eyes Nabiki had ever seen took in the entire scene at a glance. The dirty white gi he wore told her that he was a traveling martial artist. The very words he spoke told her he was here to help as well.

"It ain't right to harass a girl. Besides, it don't look like she wants any part of whatever it is you want."

A.N.

Seems I wrote this awhile back and forgot to post it, well here it is. Sorry for the delay.


End file.
